Not Your Mama’s Marketing

Gone are the days when all you needed to do to find new clients was post a billboard and a few TV commercials. Thanks to technology, the entire philosophy of marketing has shifted, and the demographics of your target audience have likely shifted, too. Back in the day, women held the purchasing power.  Businesses and brands targeted their advertising and messaging to women in the hopes that they would share their experiences with family and friends.

Today, teens and young adults have more purchasing power than ever before.  They’re an incredibly savvy group, so in order to capture some of that purchasing power requires that you speak their language and spread your message where it’s most likely to be heard.

How to Capture Young Audiences:

Include useful information in your marketing message -– not just “advertising” statements.

Today’s young people are bombarded with more advertisements than ever before.  From pop-up and sidebar ads on their favorite blogs, to commercials on music streaming apps, advertisements have become a part of their minute-by-minute experience. Simply stating that your product does x, y, and z or your organization does x, y, and z is not good enough. They’ve heard that claim before – perhaps from your competitors. Instead, include information that grabs their attention.

Remember, your viewers will only see your ads for a second, and then their attention will be on to something else. Make sure that second counts by including only the most pertinent information about your product or service in the ad.

Focus on providing engaging, interactive content on your website and social media pages.

To capture a dedicated, young customer base, you need to provide them with more than just your key product. Draw them to your website or social media pages with content that they want to engage with. Don’t make it all about selling your product. Trust that after they grow to love your company for its witty, interactive content, they’ll come around to giving your product a try on their own terms.

• Make Facebook posts about day-to-day life that encourage your followers to respond. For instance, you could post a status that says “How many people have already gone swimming this season?” at the beginning of summer.
• Keep your blog updated with regular posts related to current events in your industry. If you sell clothing and accessories, you could make bi-weekly posts about the latest trends in the fashion industry and what celebrities wore to certain events.
• Post pictures on Instagram of things you come across that are related to your business. If you sell healthy snacks and you’re driving past a strawberry field, take a picture of the strawberries.

Your goal is to draw your target demographic (young people) to your website and social media pages with great, engaging content – then let them make the decision whether to learn more about your product and perhaps purchase it on their own.

Make it clear that your product or service solves a specific problem.

The companies that have been successful in selling their product to the younger generation all have one thing in common – their products solve a problem. 

To encourage young people to try your product, your advertising needs to make it clear that your product solves a specific, real-world problem, thus making their lives easier. Wording such as “Are you tired of, xyz? Our product eliminates xyz by…” is very useful. And, USE VIDEO.  This is a must when catering to young people. Depict someone struggling with a problem, and show how your product solves it. This will make your ads relatable.

Develop a company mission that’s deeper than sales – and make it clear to your customers that you really care about the cause.

Today’s young people are caring and passionate about the world around them. They want to do their part to preserve the environment, save animals, fight homelessness, feed the hungry, and support other worthy causes. They want to buy from businesses that share their morals and values. 

If you want to market your business to young people, you need to show them that you care about more than just making a profit. Choose a cause that you and your partners or employees are truly passionate about, and get involved. Participate in fundraisers related to that cause, or pledge to donate a portion of your proceeds. Then, let your viewers know what you’re doing. Post about it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Ask your viewers for their opinions about the cause.

Young people will appreciate that your company is “about more than just the business,” and you’ll gain not just any customers – but loyal customers who share your passions.

Marketing to the young generation is not simple. You must take a multifaceted approach, carefully tailoring messages on your website, social media accounts, and other outlets to ensure they are in line with your target demographics’ values and needs.

Above all, engage! Respond to comments on social media. Go where the young people are.  Don’t wait for them to come to you.

To Outsource or Not to Outsource – That is the Marketing Question

As a business owner trying to grow your business on a budget, you may be inclined to try to conduct your own marketing. After all, no one knows your company and its offerings better than you, and there are websites and software that will allow you to take care of many of the necessary aspects on your own. But it’s worth asking yourself a few questions before you make any decisions about this. 

Do you have the time to research, strategize and create compelling marketing campaigns? Do you know how to measure success? Can you tell the difference between effective and ineffective marketing? If not, it may be time for you to consider outsourcing your marketing and advertising.

Why You Should Consider Outsourcing

Effective marketing is extremely important for businesses of all sizes, but it is especially important for small businesses and startups. In many cases, small business owners and startups are competing against larger companies with deeper pockets and larger staffs. Even for medium and large companies, consistent marketing helps your company remain relevant and expands your potential reach.

No matter the size of your company or how long it has been in business, effective marketing increases revenue, builds industry authority, strengthens your brand, develops customer loyalty and increases the overall value of your business.

If you’ve been handling your own marketing up to this point, you may be unsure if outsourcing would be worth it for you. Here are some signs that it may be time to begin outsourcing your marketing:

Benefits of Outsourcing Your Marketing

If you’re looking to take your company to the next level, investing more time and energy in your marketing is a must. But rather than attempting a trial-and-error, shooting-from-the-hip approach, it’s better to trust your marketing to a professional or a business that specializes in strategic marketing. 

Here are some benefits of outsourcing:

1. New Ideas: Bringing in an outside professional(s) to work on your advertising brings in a new flow of ideas for your marketing initiatives. A third party can and should add different perspectives that you haven’t considered.
2. Proven Techniques: Rather than playing the guessing game, a marketing and advertising professional already knows what works and what doesn’t. They’ve conducted market research and will be able to create a sound strategy based off of their experience.
3. Expand Your Team at a Fraction of the Cost: What would it cost you to add marketing professionals to your staff? Aside from paying high salaries and benefits, you would also have to provide office space and up-to-date computers and software. Outsourcing your marketing department saves you money in the short and long terms.
4. Objectivity: It can be difficult for business owners to be completely objective about their products and services, just as it can be for them to be objective about their current marketing strategies. An outside business will bring a fresh opinion and offer objective advice about what you should be doing.
5. Save Time and Focus on Your Business: Market research, developing a strategy, creating an advertising budget and designing ads takes time. This is time you could be spending on serving your customers and growing your business.
6. No Staffing Problems: Even if you do have a dedicated employee or department for marketing, you still have to worry about sick days, vacations and leaves of absence. A third-party company will eliminate staffing concerns.
7. Growth: One of the best ways to grow your business is to invest in marketing. Working with a professional advertising agency will help your business grow more than attempting to do your own marketing.
8. Return on Investment: Return on investment is a major metric in the marketing industry. Many business owners are unsure of how much bang for their buck they’re getting. Meanwhile, advertising agencies obsess over measurements like this, which will maximize your budget.
9. Measure Results: You have to know what’s working and what’s not. Even the most well-constructed marketing strategies will require some tweaking to adjust to what is and isn’t successful. If you aren’t measuring, how can you tell? Professional marketers measure everything.

As tempting as it may be for you to try and handle your own marketing, it’s not recommended. Unless you have the skills and experience to be successful, this is a bad strategy that will likely cost you time and money. To maximize your results, time and budget, work with a reputable company that cares about your business and its success.